What happens after you invite the Holy Spirit into your life?

In Episode 3 of My Crown of Grace Podcast, we explore what it truly means to open the door to God and enter into a reciprocal relationship with Him. Inviting the Holy Spirit into your life isn't simply asking for guidance, spiritual gifts, or extraordinary experiences. It's a commitment to surrender, repentance, healing, and transformation.

Through the account of Nehemiah cleansing the temple, we examine what happens when the Holy Spirit begins opening the boxes we've stored away. Some contain unhealthy habits, false beliefs, and behaviors that need correction. Others contain wounds, grief, and painful experiences that need healing.

But the Holy Spirit doesn't expose these things simply to leave us wounded. He brings them into the light for restoration.

We'll discuss the difference between conviction and condemnation, why repentance involves more than acknowledging wrongdoing, and how learning to release what we've surrendered to God is part of spiritual maturity. We'll also explore fasting, prayer, and the importance of seeking God in the secret place rather than continually returning to familiar distractions.

I'll share a personal experience involving an unexpected introduction to Pentecostal evangelist Smith Wigglesworth and how his teachings helped me recognize the Holy Spirit's work in my own life.

This Week's Practice: Getting to Know the Holy Spirit

Our second Learning to Walk With God exercise focuses on becoming acquainted with the Holy Spirit through Scripture and study.

Scripture Readings:

• Revelation 3:20; John 14:17: Opening the door to fellowship with God
• Nehemiah 13:4–9; 1 Corinthians 6:19: Cleansing the temple
• John 16:8; 1 John 1:9: Conviction and repentance
• Psalm 46:10; Matthew 6:6, 16–18: Stillness, prayer, and fasting
• 1 Corinthians 12: Spiritual gifts and their purpose
• Romans 12:4–8: Different gifts within the body of Christ
• Galatians 5:22–23: The fruit of the Spirit
• Acts 1–2: The promise and coming of the Holy Spirit

Recommended Book:

On the Holy Spirit by Smith Wigglesworth

Read or listen to this book as we begin developing a shared understanding of the Holy Spirit's presence, gifts, and work in our lives. Remember to examine what you learn alongside Scripture and remain open to the additional resources the Holy Spirit may bring to your attention.

Featured Resource: Serenity & Insight

Develop a daily habit of quiet prayer, reflection, and journaling with Serenity & Insight, a prayer and journaling app created by My Crown of Grace Publishing LLC.

Available for Android and translated into 34 languages, the app provides a peaceful space to sit quietly with God, record your reflections, and develop your relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Download Serenity & Insight on Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mycrownofgrace.holyspiritascension&pcampaignid=web_share

We're a royal priesthood learning to walk the narrow Way with Jesus.

Peace be with you.

© 2026 My Crown of Grace Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.
My Crown of Grace Podcast | Hosted by Cheryl Hedlun
Spirit-led. Kingdom-focused.
mycrownofgrace.com

If Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as our Teacher, Guide, and Counselor, why are so many Christians struggling to understand how to hear God?

In a world of celebrity pastors, social media prophets, and online ministries, spiritual messages are everywhere. But who is teaching believers how to recognize the Holy Spirit, interpret spiritual experiences, test what they receive, and develop discernment?

In this episode of the My Crown of Grace Podcast, Cheryl Hedlun explores how folklore faith has entered the digital age, why even well-organized churches struggle to provide meaningful spiritual mentorship, and how sincere believers can find themselves teaching what they're still learning to understand.

Through biblical examples and her own search for guidance, Cheryl examines the difference between receiving a spiritual message and understanding it, the responsibility of Christian leaders to equip believers, and the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead our spiritual formation.

The central lesson? You don't need to wait for the perfect pastor, prophet, or mentor to begin growing in relationship with God. Jesus already promised us a Teacher who would remain with us.

Learning to Walk With God | Lesson One: Opening the Door

This week's spiritual exercise begins with Revelation 3:20 (WEB), inviting you to consider what it means to welcome the Holy Spirit into your life and commit to the adventure of spiritual growth.

Season One: SEEK | From Knowing About God to Walking With God

Scripture references: Revelation 3:20; John 14:26; John 16:13; Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Corinthians 14; Ephesians 4:11–13.

Explore more at https://mycrownofgrace.com

Spirit-led. Kingdom-focused.

© 2026 My Crown of Grace Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.
My Crown of Grace Podcast | Hosted by Cheryl Hedlun
Spirit-led. Kingdom-focused.
mycrownofgrace.com

What happens when the faith you inherited is built partly from Scripture, partly from tradition, and partly from things no one ever thought to question?

In the first episode of My Crown of Grace, Cheryl Hedlun explores the difference between knowing about Christianity and actually learning to walk with God. Many people grow up surrounded by Bible stories, church language, cultural assumptions, and familiar beliefs without ever stopping to ask where those ideas came from or whether they truly reflect the character of God.

This episode opens the door to a different kind of faith, one built through relationship, surrender, discernment, and transformation. It is an invitation to examine the stories we have absorbed, release what does not belong, and begin discovering who God is beyond inherited assumptions.

Faith is not meant to remain folklore. It is meant to become lived relationship.

© 2026 My Crown of Grace Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.
My Crown of Grace Podcast | Hosted by Cheryl Hedlun
Spirit-led. Kingdom-focused.
mycrownofgrace.com